Huge protest by lawyers in Chennai, traffic hit

Hundreds of lawyers today held a protest near the Madras High Court against the amendments to the rules under the Advocates Act prescribing disciplinary action against unruly advocates.

Unfazed by the Bar Council of India (BCI) in New Delhi suspending 126 lawyers, including 21 Bar leaders, for their unruly behaviour last night over the amendments made to Advocates Act, 1961, scores of advocates from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were arrested here today as they attempted to lay siege to the Madras High Court premises.

Police personnel in large numbers were deployed and barricades have been put up on the roads as security measures.

The tension escalated a bit when the protesting lawyers tried to remove the iron barricades and enter the High Court premises. However they were prevented by the police.

Though the High Court campus was already under the CISF cover, heavy police pickets were posted in all the entry points in view of the agitation by the lawyers.

Shouting slogans against the Chief Justice S K Kaul, lawyers broke through police barricades, climbed them and attempted to enter the court premises, but they were prevented by the police, leading to tension.

The Bar Council of India has suspended 126 lawyers of Tamil Nadu and prohibited them from practising in any court or tribunal in the country pursuant to its warning that it will suspend those who indulge in boycott and other activities.

The suspended advocates include 21 members of the Joint Action Committee which is spearheading the agitation against the recent amendments made to the statutory rules of the Madras High Court empowering judges to debar erring lawyers.

They shall not be treated as lawyers for any purpose, and their disciplinary proceedings for professional misconduct would be conducted at different places, the BCI said.